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Popular e-cigarette manufacturer stops sales, takes down social media pages

(WHDH) — One of the nation’s most popular e-cigarette manufacturers has reportedly stopped sales and taken down its social media pages in an effort to curb what some say is an epidemic of underage vaping.

Juul Labs announced that it will temporarily stop selling e-cigarettes at more than 90,000 retail locations, according to a Yahoo report.

The company had previously come under fire for targeting teens on social media. They have since removed their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Juul CEO Kevin Burns said in a statement obtained by the news outlet that by avoiding social media the company “can better prevent teens and non-smokers from ever becoming interested in the device.”

The move comes as part of an effort to comply with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s plan that calls for strict limits on the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes, including age verification controls for online sales.

The new policy applies to flavored cartridge-style vaping products like Juul that have become popular among youths, not the open tank-style systems sold in vape shops and mostly used by adults, FDA officials said.

No retail outlets will be allowed to carry them unless it restricts minors from entering the store or creates an off-limits area.

Officials hope the new plan will curtail their use among children and teenagers.

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